Fire basket or grate



(No Model.)

J. ZIPP. FIRB BASKET OR GRATE.

No. 530,571. Patented D60. 11, 1894.

ow, WASHINGYON, n, c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ZIPP, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

FIRE BASKET OR GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,571, dated December 11, 1894.

Application filed May 28, 1894. Serial No. 512,721. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ZIPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Albany, in the county of Floyd, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Baskets or Grates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in fire places and grates, either singly or combined, and it has for its objects, among others, to provide an improved crown to the fire basket which may be used as a lifting door, being pivoted so that it may be turned from its normal vertical position into a substantially horizonal position to enable the ashes to be removed. A projecting portion of the lever which serves to limit the movement of the grate is utilized to support the crown when the latter is in its horizontal position, the crown being mounted so as to have a slight movement endwise to enable it to be engaged upon or disengaged from the said projection. This crown is preferably provided with a slot or hole for the reception of the end of a poker by which it is designed to be operated.

Another object is to make the front of the basket removable and yet so constructed and arranged as to be held firmly in its proper, vertical position without the employment of per manent means. It is formed with a horizontal lug near each end upon its upper face near the bottom and a centrally-disposed lug underneath, the said lugs being designed to engage the front edge of the grate. The upper lugs are perforated to receive removable pins which serve to more firmly hold the front in place. The grate is mounted to be operated by apedal to rock it and also to dump it, means being provided for preventing the dumping of the grate while being shaken. This pedal is provided with a hole to receive the end of a rod or poker so that it may be operated by hand without stooping down to it, as well as by the foot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the following drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fire place and grate embodying my improvements, with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the outer end of the pedal and the operating rod or poker. Fig. 4: is a detail in plan.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter A designates the fire place frame of any desired form. Near the back or rear of the side portions A of the frame are the lateral projections or pins a, back of which the rear vertical portions or legs B of the basket pass and by which the same are held firmly in position yet permitting of ready removal of the basket when desired.

B are the front legs of the basket.

0 is the grate mounted at the ends on suitable pivots c removably mounted in the end pieces of the basket.

D is a foot pedal pivoted at d to some part, as one of the front legs of the basket, and having a portion extending toward the front as shown at d and a portion extending rearwardly and having pivot-ally connected there with as at d an arm of link D the other end of which is pivotally connected as at e with the lug e, depending from the grate near the end. By means of this pedal the grate may be shaken or dumped. In order to allow the grate being agitated without danger of dumping I provide the lever E, pivoted at E to the under side of the front of the basket and bent so that when moved in one direction it will be thrown into the path of the lever D and permit said lever to move only sufficiently to rock or shake the grate without dumping it. A stop pin f is provided for limiting the movement of the lever E as seen in Fig. 2. The upper face of the lever E at its front end is provided with a ledge or shoulder e as shown best in Fig. l for a purpose which will now be explained. In order to adapt the pedal for use or operation by a rod or poker without stooping I have formed in the outer end thereof a hole 9 substantially T-shaped as seen in Fig. 3 into which is designed to be engaged a substantially correspondinglyshaped end 9' of the rod or poker F as will be readily understood from Fig. 3.

G is the front of the basket. It may be as ornamental as desired. It is provided with the lugs g which extend horizontally from its rear face and are adapted to rest upon the upper face of the front bar of the basket as seen best in Fig. 2, the said lugs being preferably perforated to receive the removable fastenings g which pass into holes in the front bar of the basket as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is formed centrally upon its under side, with the rearwardly-extending latch or lug G, which is adapted to engage the under face of the front bar of the basket as seen in Fig. 2. By this construction the front can be easily and quickly placed in position and firmly held in a true vertical plane and easily removed when necessary.

H is the bottom or crown. It is provided at its upper end with pintles h as seen in Fig. 1, which are detachably engaged in ears or lugs h on the front face of the front, the said bottom or crown piece being cut away as shown at H to provide for the working of the lever E. It is shown as provided with a hole 71.2 for the reception of a rod or poker whereby it may be turned up into a horizontal position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 when, by a slight movement toward the right its right hand edge is engaged over the ledge or shoulder e of the lever E and there held while the ashes are being removed. A slight movement in the opposite direction will disengage it from the said lever when it will fall to its normal position by its own weight.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of .its advantages.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination with the basket, of a front crown piece or bottom pivotally mounted on the basket front for endwise movement as well as'movement upon its pivots, and a lever forming a support therefor when in its horizontal position,-as set forth.

2. The combination with a pivoted grate, and the pivoted lever mounted at one end of the grate on a vertical pivot for preventing its being dumped, provided with a horizontal portion, of the crown piece or bottom to the basket mounted on the basket front for pivotal and endwise movement and to be supported in one position by said lever, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the basket, of a front therefor having lugs upon its rear portion to bear upon the upper face of the front bar of the basket and a lug to engage the under face of said bar and the securing means, as set forth.

4. The combination with the basket, of a crown piece mounted on the front for pivotal and endwise movement, the grate and a pivoted lever for preventing the dumping of the grate and adapted to support the crown piece when in its horizontal position, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN ZIPP.

lVitnessesz D. S. TRINLER, JOHN OKEEFE. 

